So much ice in the Arctic that barges can’t get thru

Many Northern coastal communities running short on supplies.
Normally, a supply barge arrives in the Amundsen Gulf in early summer to replenish stocks of fuel and other necessities, says the CBC. But this year, that trip is being held up by ice. As much as 30 to 40 per cent of the Arctic Ocean remains covered in ice.
“We have not seen ice with this type of coverage in quite a few years and I really don’t know how far back we might’ve seen it,” says Bill Smith, a spokesman with Northern Transportation Company Ltd., which services the communities.
As a result, the communities of Sachs Harbour and Ulukhaktok will have to wait another few days before their supplies get replenished.
Anyone wanting updates on the barge’s progress can log on to ntcl.com and follow along.http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2013/09/03/north-barge-delays.html
Thanks to George Martinez for this link